In 9th grade I farted in Algebra and this really hot (but very obtuse) girl sitting next to me asked me if I smelled burning rubber. I pretended I had no idea where it was coming from. 
No, you’re fine.
I have even gone to store security and complained about an especially fetid person and asked that they be removed- but that was because we were in a grocery store that served hot food.
All I can think is, “He had a kid with him?!”
You didn’t do anything wrong. It’s not as though you were following the guy around, pointing, laughing, and holding your nose.
Hell no. IMO, it’s a lot ruder to stink* than it is to comment on stinkiness.
*With the exception of, and all due apologies to, the infinitessimal number of people with a weird stinky skin condition that they can’t do anything about.
Did they do it?
I thought everyone knew this smell. It’s the smell you get after a big rain that forces the worms out of the ground, and then the sun bakes 'em. It’s a familiar odor to me.
He probably didn’t know you were talking about him, but if you did, since it wasn’t a comment TO him, I wouldn’t sweat it (pardon the pun).
Several years back I was explaining something to one of my brothers, using my computer. As he leaned over my shoulder, I said “uh, listen, I love you and stuff, but when was the last time you brushed your teeth?” He said “you shittin me? sniffs his breath I don’t smell anything, but I do believe you.” “Stinks. Please brush for a long time and gargle too, I think you may have an infection.” The brushing and Listerine helped but it was clear something was wrong with his mouth or throat.
We inherited Dad’s nerve endings, at least in the mouth. He had a rotting tooth and it hadn’t hurt him at all; he had been brushing his teeth.
My boss’ breath makes me nauseous. I reach for the box of sugarfree chewing gum every time he leaves my desk (you know, in case mine is anywhere near half as bad), but I haven’t been able to work up the courage to tell him.
I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the OP’s remark, since first, it wasn’t an “oh my God you stink” and second, he may have needed to know about it.
Is it coffee and cigarette breath? I can smell coffee and cigarette breath from across a room, it’s so bad.
“Have you ever noticed that when you investigate a smell, it never turns out good? ‘Oh, what is that smell! Muffins.’”
- Demetri Martin
(Nothing to add otherwise)
Ine one case, yes, with gladness (they thanked me for mentioning ot as their company policy sez that they could not throw anyone out for being smelly unless “customer complained”, and apparently that is not uncommon).
In another case, they said “we’ll keep an eye on him” and with the guard staring at him, he left.
Give me three steps, give me three steps mister, give three steps towards the door.
Are you sure it wasn’t geometry?
I still cringe at the fact that I let the door shut on the fingers of a slower-moving old lady in the nursing home. The upside is I am much more careful now, so as to prevent something else from guilting me to death.
I’ll have to disagree with you here. I know that smell. I’ve smelled that smell. I’ve been that smell. There was no way he wasn’t aware of it. He was probably embarassed already, and couldn’t get home fast enough to change, but his errands couldn’t be postponed.
Last time I had that smell was when I was on vacation last year. Fortunately, I only offended one person. Unfortunately, it was my girlfriend, and it was in her car. We managed to put up with it for our 15-minute trip to the beach. Seawater cleared it right up. (The problem was a bathing suit that was improperly hung up to dry.)
Oddly enough, that was not the most annoying smell we encountered at that particular resort location. Hint: If you are going to collect sea shells and store them in your hotel room, be certain that they do not contain live occupants.
It is possible that he could have not been able to smell himself- or anything else. Anosmia- the inablility to smell is actually very very rare, but it does exist. My father has no sense of smell. (as a result of a taumatic brain injury.)
Yea, it’s rotten, and earthy at the same time. I know what it smells like in its concentrated form, because I come from a family of fishermen, and once someone left their baitbox on the boat, and all the worms died, then the baitbox was opened and… Just be glad you weren’t there.
After I got back into the room, and the guy was gone, the secretary pulled out a can of air freshener and started spraying it everywhere. I was glad I wasn’t the only one who couldn’t take it.
Best
De-lurking Comment.
EVAR!!
Screw the smell, did you call CPS?
Are you serious?
[Bolding mine] A few years ago, I read an article about strange jobs, and it turns out that sewer work pays really well. After a few years, when you’ve got some experience and shown that you can cut it down there, they really don’t want to let you get away, and really open the floodgates (money-wise, that is, not the other floodgates). I believe that experienced sewer workers make more than I do. This is a useless factoid to kill the thread.
Actually, I keep mints in every room in the house, in my car, and on my person at all times for that very reason. I’m obsessive about my breath, and would be mortified if it were bad. No one ever tells me it’s bad; in fact, my friends rib me about the amount of mints I eat, and one gives me a big ol’ jar of peppermint candies for Christmas every year.